Schiff heads list of hopefuls seeking spots on primary ballot

Ken Dixon, Staff Writer

Published 10:30 pm, Tuesday, June 8, 2010

HARTFORD -- Republican U.S. Senate hopeful Peter Schiff topped the list of about a dozen candidates who say they have submitted enough petitions by Tuesday afternoon's deadline to force primaries on Aug. 10.

Now, local voter registrars have seven days to review the names and certify them.

Schiff, the Weston financial planner who hopes to challenge Linda McMahon for the Republican U.S. Senate nomination, told reporters and fewer than a dozen supporters on the steps of the Capitol that his campaign may have collected more than 12,000 petition signatures. He was required to gather 8,268 signatures of registered Republicans and submit them to local registrars throughout the state.

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Taking questions after accepting the endorsement of state Sen. John A. Kissel, R-Enfield, Schiff said he doubted that state elections officials will reject more than a few signatures brought in by a contractor in a potential violation of state law.

He wasn't certain on the final tally of signatures. "You know, I think we got over 12,000 signatures," he said. "I don't know how many because a lot of them have been collected by volunteers that haven't actually turned them in to us, so we don't know how many they have."

Vinny Forras of Ridgefield, the director of a nonprofit charity for victims of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attack, is also collecting petitions in a long-shot attempt to join Schiff on the ballot against McMahon, who won the recent statewide GOP endorsement.

Other petition candidates are seeking to force primaries for state representatives in Norwich and West Hartford; for state Senate in Hartford; and for probate judgeships in Stafford, Manchester and Stonington.

Waterbury Mayor Michael Jarjura, whose support during the recent Democratic state convention reached the 15 percent requirement to earn the right to be on the primary ballot, announced Tuesday he will seek a primary against Kevin Lembo, the state health care advocate who won the party endorsement for state comptroller.

Lembo immediately attacked Jarjura, criticizing him for his role in hiring John G. Rowland, the disgraced former governor who, after getting out of prison on corruption charges, was hired by Waterbury as an economic development director.